Washington Black was inspired by a fascinating story from history

Daily Mirror

4 days ago

Washington Black has been a hit with viewers since it was released on Disney Plus and Hulu, is the series based on a true story?
The gripping adventure drama Washington Black has hit the screens on Hulu and Disney Plus, chronicling the journey of the eponymous character Wash (played by Ernest Kingsley Jr) who is compelled to escape his homeland after a devastating death.
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Having l aunched on July 23, Washington Black unfolds in Barbados, the birthplace of George Washington "Wash" Black, born into the bonds of slavery.
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Set in the early 19th century, the tale follows Wash as he is taken under the protective wing of Medwin Harris (portrayed by Sterling K. Brown), who himself endured a harrowing childhood as a Black refugee in Nova Scotia. Based on a historical novel by Esi Edugyan, the author shared insights into what sparked the original story.
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Initially, her aim was to craft a narrative centred around the Tichborne case, a notorious and lengthy criminal trial from British history, reports the Express.
Yet, she discovered that the characters "took on their own realities". Speaking to Black History Month, she revealed: " I understand now that it was the voice of its narrator that interested me, the complicated position he found himself in, racially, socially, intellectually."
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She drew from this initial concept to weave a tale about a young boy endowed with sensitivity and intellect, striving to find his place in a world where true belonging eludes him.
Reflecting on her past works, Edugyan recognises a common theme: "Looking back at my previous novels, I see now how they are both preoccupied with aftermaths, with the reconstructing of lives after great suffering. Washington Black, as a post-slavery narrative, is no different. But it became what it is only very gradually, and on its own terms."
The tale draws inspiration from the notorious British case of the Tichborne Claimant. Roger Tichbourne, a British noble from an affluent lineage, was lost at sea and presumed deceased.
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Upon learning that a man in Australia was purporting to be her missing son, his mother dispatched Andrew Bogle, an ex-slave from the Tichborne estate, to bring back the claimant.
Victor Valley College revealed: "Andrew Bogle's life with the Tichbornes serves as the point of inspiration for Washington Black, with Edugyan creating a narrative of Bogle's life through the character, George Washington Black (played by Ernest Kingsley Jr), by capturing the complexity of the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized as well as depicting the tumultuous transition of becoming your own person."
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The novel delves deeply into scientific themes, particularly those concerning 19th-century aviation, and the author has opened up about her extensive research process.
"Richard Holmes - one of the great historians of the possible - wrote a fascinating overview of hot-air ballooning called Falling Upwards. That was a trove of information," she disclosed during Black History Month.
She confessed her captivation with historical science, ranging from groundbreaking discoveries and inventions to the rejection of outdated theories in favour of more accurate ones.
Washington Black is available for streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu.